The Cost of the Bullets
Dear Squad Members:
In the People's Republic of China, the government, after it executes
a criminal, bills the deceased's family for the expenses of the
execution. It itemizes the cost of the bullets used by the firing squad.
But that is what we would expect from the PRC; we don't expect it to
have a conscience or to behave in a civilized way. In the District of
Columbia, the government, after it kills a mentally retarded patient in
a group home by neglect, bills the patient's family for the cost of the
mistreatment that killed him. But that is what we expect from the
government of the District of Columbia.
Our government's policy, set and being carried out in our names and
on our behalf, is to use the threat of legal lawsuits seeking payments
in order to pressure and harass the families of the victims that it
destroyed by medical and social service malpractice. The theory is that
we, through our government, can forestall these families' petitions for
a fair and just compensation by bullying them with the threat of legally
bankrupting them. We'll abandon our demands on them if they give up
seeking reimbursement from us. The lawyers in the Corporation Counsel's
Office and Mayor Williams think that strong-arming victims' families is
a smart way to save money. Doesn't it make you proud to be a citizen of
DC?
The official statement confirming the government's policy was
released by City Administrator John Koskinen on April 30, 2002: http://www.dcwatch.com/issues/mr020430.htm.
The latest newspaper story summarizing this outrage is in today's Washington
Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5970-2002May11.html.
The Post and the Times have both editorialized against
this practice, and twelve of the thirteen Councilmembers have urged
Mayor Williams to come to his senses and stop it. If you have an opinion
on this subject, you may want to write to Mayor Williams yourself; his
E-mail address is mayor@dc.gov.
Gary Imhoff
themail@dcwatch.com
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For about two years, I haven't heard gunfire at night, but for the
past two months I often hear it. Last Friday night I heard five or six
shots and the cops never came. I live at 9th and E, NE, on Capitol Hill.
Has anyone else heard gunfire? And is this a new trend?
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It Takes a Lot of Gall
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com
Ward 3 activist Erik Gaull (never heard of him in my fifteen years in
Ward 3), has more than a lot of gall to challenge Councilperson Kathy
Patterson. Looks to me like he's on a mission from Mayor Williams to
unseat a very good Councilmember who happens to be all over Mayor
Williams case when it comes to budgets, accountability, and not doing
the right things right. Gaull is on a fool's errand, since Kathy has
earned the right to be reelected and should win easily next November.
I'll campaign for Kathy.
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Nonsecurity at MLK Library
Paul Williams, DChouseHistory@aol.com
I think I've identified one of the easiest city jobs in Washington
City government: front door security guard at MLK Jr. Library at 9th and
G. I have been conscious of their (non) efforts at the front entrance
years before 9/11, but have been carefully watching it ever since as
asked, and needed, in our Nation's Capital. (Un) Safe to say, it's
pathetic. I've never, ever, even once heard the metal detector gone off,
and as a researcher, I use the library several times a week, every week.
I have passed through the “security” with myriad combination of car
keys, metal watch, metal belt buckle, palm pilot, Swiss Army knife, and
enough nickels (required for the microfilm machines) in my pockets to
set off interest even from a child with curiosity, but the result? Never
a buzz from the machine. It's almost a game with me, a mere citizen
testing the system with an ever increasing cache of metal items. More
often than not, nobody is even near, much less watching, the screen
attached to the conveyor belt.
Obviously, this needs to be addressed, ASAP. On Thursday, May 9th, at
12:25 p.m., I walked through with all sorts of personal items on my body
that should have sounded the alarm; nothing. The worse part? I dutifully
placed my briefcase on the conveyor belt accompanying the "metal
detector." I walked through, and who was there to survey the
contents? Zip. Nobody. Its the eighth time I have mentally documented
that nobody, yep, no human, is there behind the machine reading the
contents of the conveyor belt. Not that I have faith in it working
either, but at least somebody could be there looking the part. The
closest a “security” personnel was a good twenty feet away, laughing
and joking with a fellow (shall I dare to say paid) “guard” not even
noticing I was venturing into the nation's capital's main library
completely unchecked.
And while researching in the Washingtoniana Division, I was informed
that a vertical file on a street history I requested was stolen and
thus, unavailable. I have had several items taken from my surroundings
while researching at the library, and discovering that fact within
minutes, confronting the security guard at the entrance, who responded,
guess what? “Sorry, fella,” never saw anyone leave with your coat,
umbrella, scarf, etc. Has anyone on themail even ventured into the
bathrooms of our premier city library? That's another issue. In any
event, I also frequently research at other institutions such as the
Library of Congress, National Archives, and perhaps most easy to
compare, Alexandria Public Library. I have no problem with being both
intensely searched and investigated at entrance and at exit, and both
welcome and anticipate the need. Our main DC library needs to at least
pretend to uphold the same standards, and should take a serious control
of its holdings, as well as the safety of those residents and visitors
that use the institution.
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Just the Facts, Ma’am
Ed T. Barron, edtb@aol.com
There's a lot of whoopdedoo about getting a Major League baseball
team in DC. On paper this looks good for DC, but if one were to examine
some real facts a relocated Major League team in DC would likely die on
the vine. It might be better attendance than the situation in Montreal,
but over the long term this will not produce the benefits to justify the
costs. There are a few significant facts that have been overlooked
amidst all the hype and hoopla. Here's just a few: 1) attendance at
major league games is on a substantial downtrend. This will likely
continue and be exacerbated by any union and baseball contract problems
later this year. 2) A stadium in Washington will not be a big fan draw.
Look at other major league baseball cities that have large minority
populations (e.g., St. Louis, New York, Los Angeles). Go to ball games
there and count the number of minorities. You'll find a very, very small
percentage of minorities in the stands. Minorities go to basketball
games and soccer games, not baseball. 3) How many folks will come to a
stadium located in DC, even one located near a Metro station? Tons of
folks living nearby in VA have never been to DC and would never drive
into DC (good move not to ever drive in DC). 4) Ticket prices have gone
out of sight as journeyman ballplayers command annual salaries averaging
$7M.
Baseball in the Washington area is not a bad idea. Efforts, however,
should be made to establish a really good minor league team and to build
a new, small, stadium that will draw fans from all the surrounding
communities. Look at the success of the Frederick Keys. They draw lots
of fans, have modest ticket prices that encourage whole families to come
to the ball park. The players are not overpriced and overpaid, and seem
to really enjoy playing the game as a team. Hey, we could name the team
the Potomacs (or will that draw out the ire from native Americans?).
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Progressive Democrats to Challenge Mayor
Williams’s Team
Arthur H. Jackson, Jr., CCADADC2@aol.com
A citywide coalition of Democratic party activists is organizing
community outreach teams to challenge Mayor Anthony Williams and his
million-dollar team of conservative pro Big Business Democrats. The
organization is expected to endorse independent activist Robin Denise
Ijames for Mayor, former Maryland Councilman, Arthur H. Jackson, Jr.,
for Council at-large, and Ward 6 candidate Keith Perry for Councilman.
For information on joining The Citizens for Action Coalition, E-mail
ccadadc2@aol.com.
Arthur H. Jackson Jr., a Ward 8 Democrat State Committeeman and
longtime Democratic party activist, will announce his candidacy as a
grassroots candidate for DC City Councilmember at-large in front of The
Wingate Apartments, 4660 M. L. King, Jr., Avenue, SE, on May 25. The
700-unit apartment complex is the site of an organizing effort by
tenants to purchase the building (contact Tenants Association President
Robin D. Ijames at 563-6769). Arthur H. Jackson is a Consultant (pro
bono) to the residents and says, “Ending the pushout of the poor,
African American and Latino American District residents is a main focus
of his campaign.”
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themail once again is full of people who thrill at the benefits of
automated ticket writing and parking meter enforcement, and simply blame
those who are paying the price for being lawbreakers in the first place.
On the surface they might be right. In reality, the solutions do little
to fix the problems. People overstay parking meters because there is
nowhere to park. There are many places downtown where there simply is no
garage parking available after 9:30 a.m. or so. So you're forced to park
where you can. After looking for sometimes a half an hour for a parking
spot, moving the car after two hours seems like a pretty bad idea. Yes,
public transportation is a wonderful option, but it simply doesn't work
for some people, for example those who must go from their client
downtown directly to their client in Herndon. The problem is lack of
parking. Raising fines will just cost people more; it won't create new
places to park.
As for red light cameras, I guess nobody read the article from the Weekly
Standard that was mentioned a couple weeks ago. Here, the problem is
public safety. As the numerous references cited in the article show, the
cameras have not been implemented to address this problem. They have
been implemented to make money. If public safety was the concern, they
would focus on making sure the yellows were timed properly, and actually
put the cameras at unsafe intersections, not those with short yellow
lights.
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Me and My Car
John Whiteside, john at logancircle.net
Dru Sefton asks, why do you need a car in the District? And she makes
some great points. Many of us, though, face a harsh reality. The big
employment centers of the metro area are increasingly not in the
District. My job is in Tyson's Corner, and while I'd love not to have to
drive there, the trip on Metro is an hour and a half to two hours, while
the car commute is thirty to sixty minutes. If I didn't have that job I
wouldn't be driving a 2001 vehicle, but I would probably still keep a
beater around so that I could make those shopping trips to the suburbs
so I could buy sundries at a store that actually keeps things in stock
(unlike CVS) and buy more than two bags of groceries at once. (Why don't
DC grocery stores offer delivery? When I lived in Boston, I could go to
the Star Market at Prudential Center, buy a ton of groceries, and at the
check out line say “deliver it!” and for a small fee they'd cart it
all home for me right away. I was shocked not to find this service at
stores here.)
That said, people do need to make choices. When I bought a home I
knew there were certain neighborhoods where I had to have off-street
parking, because I depended on my car, and that increased the price of
housing for me in those areas. (Probably why I don't live in one!) I
have to add the cost of the insurance and maintenance into my budget.
I'm not complaining -- it's worth it to have the job I want and the
mobility of the car — but when I hear of people who depend on their
car moving to a place in Adams-Morgan without off-street parking, I
think, “What were they thinking?” I saw some places there I would
have loved to live in, but I knew that it wouldn't work for me because
of the parking issue. Life is full of these little choices. You're
happier if you think about them and choose wisely.
###############
I've lived in DC for twelve years. I've had a car for three of those
twelve years (1993-5, and now, since last July). During the car-free
years I was solely dependent on public transit, and am, still, to a
large degree. However, after all this time, I'm going to join the
parking ranters. Got a parking ticket two nights ago. Seems that new
“tow away, 7:00-9:30” signs went up on a street semi-near me within
the last week. Since I got to the spot at 7:30, I was ticketed. I'm
mildly peeved, but, hey, there was a (new) sign, and I guess one
shouldn't assume that a parking spot which has been legal for at least a
year will remain legal.
However, last night it took over an hour to find a parking spot in my
Glover Park neighborhood. And frankly, it wasn't so much in my
neighborhood. I had to park over half a mile away. On the long, dark
walk home (thankfully, I was not alone), I passed so many
out-of-District plates that I was seething. Is it too much to ask that I
be able to find parking within a quarter mile of my home in a zoned
neighborhood? Yes, if I were using public transit, it wouldn't be a
problem. However, public transit doesn't run all the time, and my
husband gets off work at a God- and transit-forsaken hour.
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Buyer’s Agents Are Real Estate Agents
John Kelley, johnjim@bellatlantic.net
I just wanted to clarify for anyone who read the entry that advised
staying clear of “buyer's agents” but possibly considering a “real
estate agent.” As a real estate agent, I just wanted to make sure
anyone interested in that topic understood that buyer's agents are
licensed real estate agents. Due to relatively recent changes to laws
and regulations, a licensed real estate agent can represent a buyer in a
transaction, hence a “buyer's agent,” just as seller's have
historically hired real estate agents to market and manage the sale of
their properties. Many licensed agents today often work with some
clients seeking homes and others who are selling their homes. It can
prove quite valuable for a buyer, particularly someone new to the city
or purchasing a first home, to have a representative of their choice
represent their interests in the home search and not act merely a
salesperson or cheerleader for any specific property. The complexities
of home buying and selling are growing, not shrinking, as the market,
regulations, and home options grow. Personally, I like working with
buyers because I enjoy learning about and helping my clients achieve
their objectives — neighborhood, lifestyle, price constraints, home
tastes, and more. It is both a challenge and a reward to help a buyer
succeed in a strong seller's market such as large portions of DC are
currently experiencing.
As to the matter of hiring an agent or not when buying or selling, it
depends upon the individual. I always explain to any potential clients
during initial meetings that they may choose to represent themselves. I
purchased my first home on my own prior to becoming an agent, with a
good bit of advice from a helpful settlement agency (so I guess I did
hire some assistance) to make sure I did not miss any critical steps or
required disclosures or processes. The advantage I had was time, as I
was on a leave of absence. Some people don't have the time due to the
demands of career, family, and community; all the clients I have worked
with certainly had the smarts to navigate the process on their own, if
they had the time and resources to devote to the endeavor.
This is not a solicitation of any form and I am not trying to
discount or counter the writer's own success in managing his real estate
affairs. And I fully concur that good, honest agent are the ones to find
(they exist in greater numbers than you might ever imagine). But I did
want to clarify the factual point and explain some of the reasons a
person might elect to use an agent.
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DC Voting Rights Amendment: Waste of Time
David Sobelsohn, dsobelso@capaccessdotorg
Just to reiterate why the currently proposed constitutional amendment
for DC voting rights is a terrible waste of time: 1) The amendment is
horribly drafted. It's long and disorganized. It uses language seen
nowhere else in the Constitution. It even refers to a current federal
statute. Constitutions and constitutional amendments should be written
for the ages, not refer to repealable acts of Congress. (This is
constitution-writing 101, folks.) 2) A constitutional amendment requires
approval by 2/3 of Congress and 3/4 of the states. DC statehood requires
a majority of Congress, no votes in the states. If we can't get a
majority in Congress to support statehood, we won't get 2/3 of Congress
to support a constitutional amendment. If we can't get a majority in
Congress to support statehood, we won't get 3/4 of the state
legislatures to support a constitutional amendment. (Have any of the
proponents of this amendment ever worked in a state legislature,
especially one outside the DC area? The idea that the Nebraska state
legislature would support this amendment, let alone the legislatures of
Alabama or Utah or Oklahoma, is ludicrous. And it only takes 13 to kill
it.) 3) We tried a constitutional amendment before, in the 1970s — a
more progressive era. And that was a clear, simple, comparatively
well-drafted amendment. It failed to get approval from more than a
handful of states. George Santayana was right. 4) Any energy or thought
that goes into this bad idea takes away energy and thought from the most
expedient way to get full voting rights, and that is statehood. Even
retrocession is an easier road than this.
Please stop wasting our time with misbegotten pipe dreams.
###############
The proposal for a constitutional amendment put forward by Tim
Cooper, Mark Richards, and Charles Harris is very interesting and
gratifying detailed in its formal terms, but there are several reasons
to have reservations about the proposal. The first and most critical
reservation is that this proposed amendment, for the first time, would
place the definition of the status of the residents of the District of
Columbia into the text of the Constitution. The present Constitution
does not define the status of District residents. The District Clause
gives Congress a certain power over a certain place, but the status of
the residents does not automatically or necessarily follow from this
grant of power. Rather, the status of the residents of the District was
defined by Chief Justice John Marshall in 1805. While his definition is
logical in a certain light, it is not completely logical in other lights
and, indeed, his definition was reversed by the Supreme Court as it
applied to the enormous class of people who reside in the “federal
enclaves” (places under precisely the same Clause of the Constitution
as DC).
In other words, current treatment of the District is not mandated nor
even indicated by the plain text of the Constitution. The present status
of DC residents continues because of congressional choice, not because
of Constitutional definition. Proof of this lies in the fact that
Congress chose to cede (the former) Alexandria County back to Virginia
without encountering any constitutional problems. Congress could do the
same for the remainder of the District (at least all of it outside the
small areas actually used by the federal government); better, it could
admit the District as a state in its own right, without constitutional
problem. So, at present, changing the status of District residents only
requires a change in congressional treatment; it does not require a
constitutional amendment. If this (or any similar) amendment passes,
then any further change to the status of District residents would
require further amendment to the Constitution. So we should look at such
proposals as “terminal"”steps in the political welfare of
District residents. They would tend to be the last step, the
culmination, rather than stages on a process.
And this brings us to the second important consideration. While the
present proposal appears wonderfully comprehensive and appears to
present many advantages, the proposal is only that comprehensive and
only presents those advantages as long as it remains in (something like)
its present form. But there’s little or no chance that Congress won't
alter the proposal in significant ways before passage. Indeed, the
history of proposals to amend the Constitution -- especially when they
are as complex as this one must be -- shows that Congress always alters
the proposed language in significant ways. Once Congress reworks this
proposal, District residents could find themselves in an even more
strictly defined, inferior status than they find themselves now, made
worse of course by the fact that this status would be ensconced in the
Constitution, instead of just arising as a result of congressional
treatment of the District.
Thirdly, while this proposal appears wonderfully comprehensive, it is
not. No matter how closely the proposed language is shaped to try to
mimic state citizenship, it cannot replicate it for at least two
reasons; one is that statehood entails a far more complex citizenship
status than is or can be set out in this proposal; another is that
statehood itself is a status in the evolving “federalism”
relationship, so any fixed definition will deprive District citizens of
the benefits of that evolutionary process. Fourthly, the actual terms of
the proposal provoke more questions than they answer. For instance, the
proposal is that DC residents “shall be treated as residents of a
state for all constitutional intents and purposes, enjoying those same
rights, powers and privileges as the people of the several states,”
but such “intents and purposes” and “rights, powers, and
privileges” are hotly debated in a significant number of cases which
come through our courts every year. Under this Amendment, who's to
define the “intents and purposes” and “rights, powers, and
privileges?” Congress has tried to draft “federalism” legislation
to do just this, but it always goes nowhere because the States and the
President don't want Congress defining the issue. The President has
issued proclamations and orders defining aspects of the federal/state
relation, but these are also dead issues, for the States and Congress
don't want the President defining the issues either. Rather, these
issues are defined over time by all parties to the relationship, either
through bargaining, inertia, or litigation (and, in any event, every
State gets the benefits of another State's victory in the process, which
would not be the case for the District under this proposal, since the
District would still not be an actual State). Since the District would
still not be a state or part of a state under this proposal, it would
have to go to court regularly, on its own (and at great cost), to argue
that Congress is not respecting substantially the “same”
constitutional “intents and purposes” as it respects for the States.
And the District will certainly find itself in court regularly to
challenge actions under the last grammatical clause of Section 2, in
which it is said that Congress's powers under the District Clause will
apply only within the National Capital Service Area and embassies,
“except in the case of a compelling national interest[.]” Who's to
define “a compelling national interest?” Congress already thinks
that prevention of gay or lesbian domestic partnership is a sufficiently
compelling national interest for them to have interfered with it and
Congress already thinks that prevention of legalization of marijuana for
medical use is a sufficiently compelling national interest for them to
have interfered with it. So the proposal allows Congress to continue to
do precisely what it does now, through this exceptional “back door.”
Finally (though I could fill several more pages with particular
problems raised by this proposal), one might well wonder why we can
expect Congress to pass and the necessary number of states ratify a
constitutional amendment creating a special, completely novel status for
the District of Columbia, which status might (according to this
argument) place District residents in the same — but necessarily
different — position as residents of a State, if the chances of
getting statehood itself are so slim? Why are the chances of getting
such an amendment so good, especially when it takes more political clout
and effort to pass and ratify an amendment to the Constitution?
All this leads us to the ultimate question: why shouldn’t the
people of the District of Columbia be in precisely the same position as
the rest of the people of the country, enjoying the same privileges and
immunities, rights and responsibilities, under precisely the same
constitutional status as everyone else? Statehood (or retrocession)
would place District residents in the status of being citizens of a
state. From that status, follow all the rights and responsibilities,
privileges and immunities we revere. The federal and state constitutions
are all keyed to this fundamental status; without it, you’re outside
the system of citizenship and government defined in those documents.
Statehood (or being part of a state) is a complete solution, simple and
well-defined. Why is it so hard to work for (either expression of) what
everyone seems to agree is a comprehensive solution?
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Spam, Spam, Spam
John Whiteside, john at logancircle dot net
I think the people who are less bothered by spam are probably the
ones that don't get two hundred E-mails a day. I appreciate themail's
privacy policy, but, as has been pointed out, bots that harvest E-mail
addresses from web sites will pick up your address from themail
archives. One solution is what I do -- look up by my name — disguise
your address in a way that a human being can understand it and send you
E-mail but a piece of software will be fooled. (Works well on Usenet
too!)
As for filtering, as Gary suggests, it doesn't work very well (though
it's not a bad idea). My suggestion is to use SpamCop (www.spamcop.net).
It's free, it's not hard, and I have helped get spammers kicked off
their ISPs with it. Which provides some momentary pleasure to make up
for the annoyance!
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Apparently Dan Tangherlini actually does exist. Just a couple of
weeks back I E-mailed him with a complaint about the parking lot
Independence Avenue has become since the installation of all those new
traffic signals between the Lincoln Memorial and 15th Street. More
specifically, I asked him to look into the current timing of the
signals, as the situation seems to have worsened in recent weeks. He
responded just a few days later in quite friendly fashion, noting that
there are DC/Park Service jurisdictional issues for that stretch of road
but that he was sure something could be worked out. I found it to be a
highly satisfying citizen-government interaction by any standards, let
alone by DC's. It might be that the lack of response John Whiteside has
experienced has to do with his misspelling of “Tangherlini.”
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Dan Tangherlini, Threat or Menace?
Mark Eckenwiler, eckSPAM@FODDERpanix.com
In the last issue, John Whiteside suggests that “Dan Taghlerini . .
. doesn't really exist,” as demonstrated by the Division of
Transportation head's alleged unresponsiveness. John is right: “Dan
Taghlerini” doesn't exist. On the other hand, Dan Tangherlini most
assuredly exists. More to the point, I have (in the course of numerous
complaints, requests and suggestions) invariably found him polite,
responsive, and eager to assist in solving problems. Granted, I can't
say I'm batting 1.000 in having suggestions acted on, but I don't expect
DDOT to run out and redesign an intersection at the drop of a hat. But
DDOT under Dan is anything but “completely impervious to citizens,”
as John alleges; if he doubts, he's welcome to check out the trees (and
new tree boxes) installed on my block last year in response to my
requests. Or John could write — politely, preferably — to dan.tangherlini@dc.gov,
the working address I've had listed at the oft-plugged stantonpark.net
site for eons.
Disclaimer: I don't work for DC government, and Dan Tangherlini has
no embarrassing photos of me. (In fact, my first dealings with Dan arose
from a highly critical letter of mine printed in the Post; see http://www.dcwatch.com/themail/2000/00-08-27.htm
) I'm just a citizen gadfly who has dealt with enough municipal morons
and layabouts to know that Dan is neither.
###############
I didn't think I was a masochist ... but perhaps Mr. Suderow is?
Unless he doesn't live in the District? And if he doesn't, is he on this
list just to be able to have a target for pent-up venom? While I
appreciate serious political criticism, his comment was so unnecessary
and mean-spirited. Many of us have lived here for years and decades,
growing up or raising families or generally making a difference in our
neighborhoods (hooray for giving Ross Elementary a flagpole!) — I'd
have DC any day over Giuliani's New York or Willie Brown's San
Francisco, as much as I love either of those cities.
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Beware the Blame Game, the Gift Horse, and
Eating Cake
Len Sullivan, lsnarpac@bellatlantic.net
Washington “thought leaders” seem to be jumping on a dangerous
fiscal bandwagon with the help of accountants and management consultants
who should know better. Their “structural imbalance” theme song
claims that DC's expenditures are too high and revenues too low because
of the Federal Presence. Their goal is a return to dependency on annual
federal payments to compensate for the awful burdens of hosting
America's national capital and paying (a few) “state-level” costs.
Have they got their numbers right? Have they fingered the right
perpetrators? Have they got a solution consistent their urge for
political independence? What would DC look like with a state house and
no federal government? Would Montgomery County whine if the
“monumental core” moved there? NARPAC's answers can be found in the
May update of its web site at http://www.narpac.org/INTHOM.HTM.
Think for yourself. Get positively involved.
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This is to advise that the May 2002 on-line edition has been uploaded
and may be accessed at http://www.intowner.com.
Included are the lead stories, community news items and crime reports,
editorials (including prior months archived), restaurant reviews (prior
months also archived), and the text from the ever-popular “Scenes from
the Past” feature. Also included are all current classified ads. The
complete issue (along with prior issues back to February 2001) also is
available in PDF file format by direct access from our home page at no
charge simply by clicking the link provided. Here you will be able to
view the entire issue as it looks in print, including the new ABC Board
actions report, all photos and advertisements.
The next issue will publish on June 14. The complete PDF version will
be posted by early that Friday morning, following which the text of the
lead stories, community news, and selected features will be uploaded
shortly thereafter. To read this month's lead stories, simply click the
link on the home page to the following headlines: (1) “Cardozo-Shaw,
Logan Circle Joint Bid for Neighborhood Improvement Funds Granted”;
(2) “P Street Revitalization on Track, Planning by Mayor's Office
Underway”; (3) “Bloomingdale: A Unique Urban Experience, to be
Revealed During June House Tour.”
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CLASSIFIEDS — EVENTS
Open Meeting on Healthcare Alliance
Rene Wallis, rwallis@dcpca.org
In case any of your folks are interested, DCPCA is hosting an open
meeting on the Healthcare Alliance on May 16, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., at
Providence Hospital. It is geared toward health care
professionals/advocates/others who are following the issue, working with
vulnerable folks, and have some knowledge of health care systems. There
will be a lot of information presented very quickly, and the
conversation will include a lot of health care lingo (like all
professions, health care has invented its own language!).
That being said, all are invited. DCPCA, like DC Watch, believes that
an informed and engaged electorate is our best hope to improve life here
in DC, and we are always looking for people who want to become engaged
in improving the health care system to meet the needs of the medically
vulnerable. If you want to attend, we would appreciate an RSVP E-mailed
or faxed to 638-4557 or 638-4637.
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Footlights, the DC area's only modern-drama discussion group, will
sponsor trips to see two plays in early June, both at a discount. One's
a Tony award-winner, the other won the Pulitzer Prize, and the
playwright will be there. "Side Man" (1998) is Warren Leight's
poignant, Tony award-winning love ballad to his parents and to the
forgotten world of big-band jazz. The performance takes place Sunday,
June 2, 2:30 p.m., at Everyman Theater, 1727 N. Charles Street in
downtown Baltimore. We can get you there and back. Our discount tickets
are only $16, which includes a post-show discussion. “The Heidi
Chronicles” (1988) is Wendy Wasserstein's funny, moving, Pulitzer
prize-winning portrayal of the baby-boom generation from the radical
1960s through the mercenary 1980s. The performance takes place
Wednesday, June 5, 7:30 p.m., at the Voice of America, 330 Independence
Ave., SW (Federal Center SW Metro station). We'll be part of a live
studio audience for an audiotaping for eventual worldwide broadcast on
NPR and VOA. Our discount tickets are only $24, which includes a
post-show discussion led by Wendy Wasserstein herself. Mail your checks,
payable to “Footlights,” to Robin Larkin, 5403 Nibud Court,
Rockville, MD 20852 (301-897-9314 and rlarkin@footlightsdc.org).
For further information go to http://www.footlightsdc.org.
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Virtual Teams: Lessons Learned
Barbara Conn, bconn@cpcug.org
Julia Loughran, President of ThoughtLink, Inc., leads a seminar on
the most effective tools for online collaboration, and on the social,
economic, and political effects of working virtually. Gather your
questions and colleagues and bring them to the Saturday, May 18, 1:00
p.m., meeting of the Capital PC User Group (CPCUG) Entrepreneurs and
Consultants Special Interest Group (SIG).
Meetings are free and are held each month, usually on the third
Saturday, at the Cleveland Park Library (Second Floor Large Meeting
Room) at 3310 Connecticut Avenue, NW, just a block south of the
Cleveland Park Metrorail station and half a block south of the Cineplex
Odeon Uptown movie theater. For more information about the seminar, the
speaker, and CPCUG, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization, and
to register for the meeting, visit http://www.cpcug.org/user/entrepreneur/502meet.html.
###############
Seattle did it. Chicago did it. And now it is Washington, DC's, turn
to have a citywide book club, DC WE READ! Join your neighbors and
friends at a book discussion or film screening of Having Our Say: The
Delany Sister's First Hundred Years. This program which was organized by
the DC Public Library aims to promote reading and community dialogue.
Visit http://www.dclibrary.org
for up-to-date schedule of event changes and additions.
Moderator-led book discussions, with refreshments provided by
Starbucks Coffee and Walkers Shortbread: June 3, 2:00 p.m., Chevy Chase.
June 6, 3:30 p.m., Northeast. June 12, 6:30 p.m., Petworth. June 12,
6:30 p.m., Washington Highlands. June 13, 7:30 p.m., Palisades. June 18,
6:30 p.m., Takoma Park. June 22, 1:30 p.m., Watha T. Daniel. June 26,
2:00 p.m., Tenley.
Film screenings of "Having Our Say," a Kraft Premiere Movie
produced by Camille O. Cosby and Judith Rutherford James. It stars
Diahann Carroll, Ruby Dee, and Amy Madigan. A production of Televest and
Columbia Tristar Television (94 minutes). June 6, 2:00 p.m., Mt.
Pleasant. June 11, 6:30 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library,
Room A5. June 12, 12:00 p.m., Washington Highlands. June 15, 12:00 p.m.,
Capitol View. June 17, 6:30 p.m., Watha T. Daniel. June 20, 3:00 p.m.,
Palisades. June 20, 7:30 p.m., Petworth. June 22, 2:00 p.m., Southwest.
June 25, 7:00 p.m., Tenley. June 26, 2:00 p.m., Tenley.
June 25, 6:30 p.m., Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, Lobby.
DC We Read 2002 Finale: The Story After the Story. A'Leila Bundles,
local noted author of On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam
C.J. Walker, will engage journalist and writer, Amy Hill Hearth, in
conversation about her relationship with the remarkable Delany sisters
and about what happened to them after they were discovered!
June 26, 11:00 a.m., Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, Room
A5. Having Our Say: DC Centenarians Speak Out. Meet DC’s 100+ year-old
residents as they recount the century with Amy Hill Hearth. This program
is in cooperation with the DC Office on Aging.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — SPACES
Venues Wanted for Community Arts Project
Juliet Bruce, juliet@arts-for-life.org
Arts for Life is a project of Institute for Transformation Through
the Arts (ITA) that uses the power of creative self-expression to
energize and transform the lives of individuals and communities. We send
trained multidisciplinary teams of artists to host sites throughout the
community, where they present, free of charge, 6-session creative arts
workshops. Each session is based on a community-building theme: trust,
sharing, belonging, giving, creating tolerance, and celebration. The
project will launch publicly in September 2002 in observance of the
anniversary of September 11. We are now seeking host sites throughout
DC, Northern VA, and the MD suburbs to serve as venues for the community
creative arts sessions. Mental health outreach centers, wellness
clinics, hospitals, after-school programs, senior centers, youth
programs, churches, libraries, shelters, and other community-based
programs are encouraged to apply for this free service for your
constituents. For information, call Dr. Juliet Bruce at 667-3766 or
E-mail juliet@arts-for-life.org.
To find out more about ITA, please visit http://www.arts-for.life.org.
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CLASSIFIEDS — VOLUNTEERS
DC’s Trees Need You
Parisa Norouzi, PNorouzi@foe.org
This outreach activity was postponed until this week; please join us.
Distribute fliers and gather petition signatures regarding DC's Tree
Crisis this Wednesday (15th), Thursday (16th) and/or Friday (17th),
7:30-9 a.m. and 5-6:30 p.m. at Metro stops throughout the District (such
as Anacostia, Brookland, Eastern Market, Woodley Park, Minnesota
Avenue).
Petitions will educate people about DC's tree crisis and gather
signatures urging the Mayor to do everything he can to protect and
restore DC's tree canopy. We need to get the word out about this
problem, and get more people involved! Choose a day, time, and location
that works for you; we will provide the materials! E-mail pnorouzi@foe.org
or call Parisa at 783-7400 x 107 to get involved; specify when and where
you would like to go.
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Foster Care Appreciation Month
Dona Jenkins, Dfjenkins@cfsa-dc.org
May is National Foster Care Month, and Mayor Williams has proclaimed
May 2002 as Foster Parent Appreciation Month in the District. Each year,
hundreds of men and women generously open their hearts and homes to the
over 3,000 children and youth in need of a safe, secure and stable home
with the compassion and nurturing of a foster family. Day and night,
these families answer the call of local agencies to provide needy
children with warmth, love, and a measure of security, and these foster
parents have taken on the responsibility of providing our children with
the love, dignity, and character they need to build self-esteem and
become productive and successful individuals.
Thank you, and a thousand more times thank you! We still need
District homes for children. If you care to foster or opt to adopt,
don't delay, call us today at 671-LOVE.
###############
CLASSIFIEDS — FREE
Summer Camps Information
Susie Cambria, scambria@dckids.org
A terrific resource is back! The Greater Washington Urban League has
published its 2002 Guide to Summer Camps and Enrichment Programs: A Ride
to New Adventures. Get your free copy as long as supplies last. To
obtain a copy or for more information, E-mail your mailing information
to luwgdbs@aol.com or call the
Education Division at 265-8200, Ext. 254.
The 28-page booklet provides information on day and residential camps
in the Washington metropolitan area along with registration information
and fees. The publication also lists tips for suggesting the best camp
for your child.
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CLASSIFIEDS — WANTED
I'm looking for a good used bike for sale. For a woman, about
5'4" and 125 lbs. Just a nice bike to get around town.
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